Operation Magistral

Operation Magistral was a Soviet operation intended to open the Satukandav Pass and to relieve the embattled city of Khost, which had been surrounded by the Mujahideen. The Soviets withdrew from Afghanistan shortly after, despite a victory.

Operation
20,000 Soviet troops under the command of General Boris Gromov and 8,000 Afghan troops under General Shahnawaz Tanai launched an offensive to open the Gardez-Khost Road, blocked due to the battling for the latter city with the Mujahideen under Jalaluddin Haqqani. As the Soviets set their plans for withdrawal from Afghanistan in motion, this operation succeeded in temporarily opening the Satukandav Pass and relieving the embattled city of Khost. The end result was 1,156 communist and 3,000 Mujahideen casualties.